Autumn Dusk (2016)

SATB Chorus with Semi Chorus

Dedicated to Professor Sven-David Sandström. Premiered February 16, 2017 by students of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Sam Ritter conducting.

Text:

I saw above a sea of hills A solitary planet shine,And there was no one, near or far, To keep the world from being mine.

-Sara Teasdale (1884-1933)

*This text is in the public domain.

Program notes:

Sometimes I find that I easily overlook the importance of being content with myself in solitude, and I truly believe it is a skill that must be practiced. Today, with technology and social media connecting us to anyone anywhere at anytime, we often find it difficult to be alone. I discovered in my transition to college life that the ability to be happy with myself while alone is imperative to my overall wellbeing, and ultimately this ability is profoundly empowering. I came across this poem, a poem rich in language about the beauty of solitude, and it revealed to me that I am the only one who can perceive this solitary planet the way I do. And as long as I am living, no one can take that away from me. No one can keep the world from being mine.